Quick finder for chords

ABSTRACT

A device for quickly ascertaining various chords identified with any key signature in the cycle of fourths, the device having two rotatable dials so that the key signature and the chords to be read can be disposed at the top of the device where reading and interpretation is easiest without mental gymnastics required to transpose or invert mentally the chord information provided by the device. For further facilitating the use of the device the inner dial has not only one segment with three principal chords, tonic, dominant and sub-dominant for the selected key signature but three further segments naming the chords otherwise as sixth, and seventh chords and as related to a complete split scale degree arrangement.

Leonard Apr. 24, 1973 lll] QUICK FINDER FOR CHORDS Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-Lawrence R. Franklin [76] Inventor: Verna M. Leonard, 6353 North A. K X & Knox Blackstone, Fresno, Calif. 93721 mmeyno [22] Filed: Aug. 13, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT [2l] Appl. No.: 171,561 A device for quickly ascertaining various chords identified with any key signature in the cycle of fourths, the device having two rotatable dials so that [2] :J'S' the key signature and the chords to be read can be I l 'ft' "i475, 235 88 disposed at the top of the device where reading and [58] Feld of Seam "84/ 471 interpretation is easiest without mental gymnastics required to transpose or invert mentally the chord in- [56] References Cted formation provided by the device. For further facilitat- UNITED STATES PATENTS mg the use of .the device the. mner dlal has .not onlyl one segment with three prmclpal chords, tonic, dom1- 3,592,099 7/1971 Gibby ..84/473 nant and sub-dominant for the selected key signature 2,332,842 10/ 1943 Champion .,84/473 but three further segments naming the chords other- Ckpton wise as sixth, and seventh chords and as related to a 3,481,241 12/1969 Gaillard s4/474 eemplete split Seele degree arrangement.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures C h 7n, 1, w1 ce@ A B 30 Ca Aoo i 9 p k 32 9 y 4 s 32 een 42 I 46 4s 400C* 4), 3 "o ToNlc Q4 22 s (,/28 o cHonn Us, 11 e a, ze een e eff/2M# 44 zo Q OOG KEY SIG. P0441 q, 9 U

Y' 4 52 000A 6 o o Q o 1 o e te ROOT TONE f 24 ARRANGEMENT 49" d: S o 4o o 7g 5 e Q NO- I 2 24 E o' I8 m m X Q I z E m o m o *m mg m 5l 'o 0 gli I H g m -owerwd 'Memes ew u u l lz z I D x n: gg F 0 g 2 E v '0N C 22g/? s 2 5 o 9 5 '-5,50 @d Nawaonvaav e? c e 0 o v?, saaasao :nvos @vv t "o a4 a- 3 h? v 90W/9 als A3 @gte s s, e

"if e k uuoHo e e b' ,l aorvw M ,l s /10 fg( S 0 l o o we eq/*agr a r4 g 00V 09 A@ 9 *V Sirve-l t 9 54 u "9 *i STEP I, SELECT STEP 2. SELECT STEP 3. MATCH CHORD ARRANGEMENT N0: I,2,3or4. KEY SIGNATURE OUTSIDE No. i-IZ. ICHORD T0 KEY SIGNATURE NUMBER.

PATENTEUAPR 24 im Fig. I

Fig. 2

QUICK FINDER Fok cnoRDs BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The circle of fourths, which can be considered as a version of the slightly more familiar cycle of fifths, is the principal background of this invention, shared, of course, with the established organization and naming of the chords as for example by the name Tonic, Dominant, Sub-dominant, sixth, seventh, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords, major and minor chords and chords named by the scale degrees. There are still other chords and still other prior art arrangements thereof as for example the spiral arrangement of the key signature names readable to the right or left for Sharps and flats, as well as relatively slidable tables or charts to identify chords with key names, notation and finger positions relative to frets, the last being particularly for use by students of fretted fingerboards. There exists a need, however, for a device which can be adjusted so as to be read upright, naturally and easily for each key signature and spelling out the chords required for that particular key signature as well as all others by simple adjustment of the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As claimed, the present invention meets the aforementioned need by providing two coaxially rotatable dials on a panel, the outer dial being smaller and carrying indicia representing a split scale arrangement of chords positionable by rotary adjustment of that dial in relation to key signature indicia peripherally on the larger dial and spaced according to the spacing of the indicia on the inner dial to designate all the required key signature in a circle of fourths accompanied by the desired chord representations which, as illustrated, are simply named according to the component tones in the chords. Since the larger dial carrying the key signature can be rotated as well as the inner dial, both dials can be adjusted so that the indicated chords are at the top of the device and thus positioned for maximum ease of reading and interpretation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a plan view of the device; and FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 in FIG. 1,

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The device is conceived as made from sheet material, the base panel l0 being preferably relatively inflexible and both the larger disc or dial l2 and smaller dial 14 should also be resistive to deformation to assure enduring rotatability in a substantially common plane. The lower portion 16 of the panel l0 may be rectangular and the upper portion is preferably semicircular to lend rear support for the upper part of the larger dial l2. An

represented, these as illustrated being the primary or major triad chords for the root, fourth andfifth degree tones of the major scales indicated, and immediately following the chords 24 there is represented thetones 26 and 28 required to be added to achieve the cor'- responding sixth and seventh chords, with the indicia 6th and 7th radially outwardly thereof as indicated at 30 and 32.

As illustrated the smaller dial 14 has four segments 34, 36, and 38 and 40, numbered l-4 and each segment has a tab 42 extending radially at the center of the segment, and three sections 44 carrying indicia 46, 48 and 50 designating the first, fourth and fifth scale degrees in Roman numerals with the corresponding chord names chosen to stress, in this case, four different chord arrangements denominated as Root Tone, Seventh, Scale Degrees and Sixth chord as indicated at 52.

Variations in the indicia employed and some variation in the arrangement thereof is conceived as possible or even necessary to adapt the device to particular uses. Even the number of key signatures could be doubled for example with a corresponding addition of chords, or the chords could be decreased or expanded to embrace 9th, l 1th and 13th chords. Other variations will occur to the producer of the item, such as items for minor chords or possibly all harmonic chord progressions, all within the broad concept of the claimed invention.

In using the device, the directions indicated at 54 can be followed, the user being able to turn the large dial 12 so that the chosen key signature is at the top and thus easily read along with the intelligence on the small dial which of course is turned so that the particular arrangement 52 is also toward the top and with the tab 42 aligned with the tab 20. The split scale arrangement of the cords permits this positioning of the first degree chords radially opposite to the chosen key signature 22 on the larger dial and also materially adds to the ease of reading and interpreting the information derivable from the device.

Having described the structure and use of my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A quick finder for chords, comprising:

a panel, a smaller dial and a larger dial coaxially mounted on said panel for relative rotation, with the smaller dial outermost so that peripheral areas of the larger dial are visable;

the smaller dial having a sector with an outwardly extending tab on the bisector of said sector, and said sector also having indicia circumferentially spaced thereon as positional indicators in split scale arrangement of the V, l and IV degree chords in that order so that said l degree is adjacent to and thus visually associated with said tab;

the larger dial having in said peripheral areas the names of the keys in the circle of fourths with associated chords, spaced apart to correspond with said positional indicators of the smaller dial, so that a rotational setting of said smaller dial with said tab and said degree chord indication aligned with any selected one of said names of keys in the larger dial identities at a glance said associated chords for the I, IV, and V degrees of that key responding l degree indication are visually associated.

3. A quick finder for chords according to claim 2 wherein said names of keys are twelve in number and the inner dial has four segments each having three of said indicators, the indicators on one segment pointing out said V, I, and IV degree chords as the root, dominant and sub-dominant chords. 

1. A quick finder for chords, comprising: a panel, a smaller dial and a larger dial coaxially mounted on said panel for relative rotation, with the smaller dial outermost so that peripheral areas of the larger dial are visable; the smaller dial having a sector with an outwardly extending tab on the bisector of said sector, and said sector also having indicia circumferentially spaced thereon as positional indicators in split scale arrangement of the V, I and IV degree chords in that order so that said I degree is adjacent to and thus visually associated with said tab; the larger dial having in said peripheral areas the names of the keys in the circle of fourths with associated chords, spaced apart to correspond with said positional indicators of the smaller dial, so that a rotational setting of said smaller dial with said tab and said degree chord indication aligned with any selected one of said names of keys in the larger dial identifies at a glance said associated chords for the I, IV, and V degrees of that key signature, and the rotatability of the larger dial providing for adjustability thereof so that the key signature and chords being read are at the top of the quick finder for easy reading.
 2. A quick finder for chords according to claim I wherein said larger dial has a radially outwardly extending tab positionally adjacent to each of said names of keys, whereby said names of keys and the corresponding I degree indication are visually associated.
 3. A quick finder for chords according To claim 2 wherein said names of keys are twelve in number and the inner dial has four segments each having three of said indicators, the indicators on one segment pointing out said V, I, and IV degree chords as the root, dominant and sub-dominant chords. 